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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26338630">Hoodie</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Trans_N_Pans/pseuds/Trans_N_Pans'>Trans_N_Pans</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Undertale (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Anxiety, Break Up, Breaking Up &amp; Making Up, M/M, Red is afraid of getting hurt, Red is an idiot, Souls, Stretch is very patient</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 03:07:36</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,658</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26338630</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Trans_N_Pans/pseuds/Trans_N_Pans</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Red is afraid of being in a relationship. It's too dangerous. It was a one way ticket to getting hurt...</p><p>That's why he needs to end it.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>HoneyMustard, Papyrus/Sans (Undertale)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>26</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Hoodie</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>The drawing that inspired this story:</p><p>https://transnpans.tumblr.com/post/628598231184687104/hoodie-transnpans-undertale-video-game</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Red growled lowly as he paced the floor of his room. That asshole! Who needed him anyways! Sittin’ in Muffets with that drunk monster hanging off of his arm..</p><p> </p><p>“Screw him. Stupid mother..<em>argh!”</em> Red flopped onto his bed, staring up at the ceiling blankly. Sure, its not like him and Stretch were even together now, but it had only been a week! <em>One!</em></p><p> </p><p>And...<em>sure</em>, Red was the one that had broken off the relationship...But! He needed to keep the taller skeleton from hurting him. Stretch laughing and talking to that girl just proved Red’s worries! If he was over Red that quick, what would have stopped Stretch from doing shit behind his back?</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t need him...fuck that lazy, smiley, bastard…” Red hissed lowly, rubbing at his eye. He wasn’t crying, just...had something in his eye…</p><p> </p><p>“<em>Fuck..”</em> Red whimpered softly as he rolled onto his side. As he turned, the skeleton noticed something within the darkness of his room. A dull orange color laying on his floor…</p><p> </p><p>Frowning. Red shakily got up and walked over to the offending object. Had it always been lying there? Red had spent an awful long time in his room as of late..but then again, the skeleton’s room stayed so messy it was a surprise he knew anything was in there.</p><p> </p><p>“Why the hell did I keep this…” Red muttered to himself as he picked up the faded orange hoodie. For a few minutes, all he did was stare at the clothing in his hands. Then, he slowly brought it to his face and breathed in..God..it still smelled like Stretch.</p><p> </p><p>Cigarette smoke and honey flooded his senses.</p><p> </p><p>Before he knew it, Red was sitting back on his bed, his jacket discarded and the over sized hoodie enveloping him. It was 3 sizes too big for the short skeleton, but Red didn’t care. He let his phalanges brush over rough holes in the sleeves. All of Stretch’s hoodies had cigarette burns in them like these.</p><p> </p><p>As Red sat there, the tears came rushing back. It wasn’t his fault...Stretch was just gonna hurt him if they were together. That’s how relationships work. Red grew up knowing that everyone’s out to hurt you..physically and emotionally. Only idiots let themselves get screwed over…</p><p> </p><p>The conversation still felt like a fresh wound…</p>
<hr/><p>“What..?” Stretch’s voice was a mix of confusion and an emotion that Red couldn’t place. The shorter skeleton glared at him. It wasn’t hard to hold eye contact with the other monster, as Stretch was lounging on his couch. Red had debated just taking the cowards way out, sending a text to do this…</p><p> </p><p>“I said I don’t wanna be with you anymore. You got shit in your ears or somethin?” Red hissed, arms crossed over his chest. Stretch slowly sat up, watching Red like he was a cornered animal.</p><p> </p><p>“I heard ya, honey..Just..can we sit and talk about this? Did something happen…?” He asked slowly and calmly. It pissed Red off.</p><p>“Fuck no” He growled, taking a step back as Stretch stood up. He never understood why he was so tall. Stretch was a Papyrus, but stood taller than Red’s own brother by at least a head. “I don’t wanna talk. I’m <em>done</em>. There’s nothin’ to talk about”</p><p> </p><p>“...This is about your world, isn’t it…?” The way Stretch seemed to be staring into his soul was nerve wracking. “You don’t wanna let yourself be happy cause of how fucked things were where you’re from…” He continued, making Red internally flinch. The shorter skeleton kept an annoyed expression, though.</p><p> </p><p>“Wha-” Red took another step back, mentally planning out his escape route. Something deep in his mind said it was stupid to think Stretch would hurt him, but the rational side of his brain told that thought to fuck off. Why wouldn’t Stretch want to hurt him? He was breaking up with him.</p><p> </p><p>Stretch seemed to notice something was off, because he frowned and took a step away from Red. He held his hands up gently, that odd look in his eyes again.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey, its okay. I’m staying over here…” Stretch mumbled softly. “I...This is your decision, Red. I’m not gonna do anything to make you stay with me. I want you to be happy, alright? If you want us to be done, then we’re done…” he continued. Red stared at him and huffed, nodding.</p><p> </p><p>“Good. We’re on the same page...and tell your fucking brother to leave mine alone.” Before Stretch could say a word, Red took a short cut back to his house. This was right. This was what needed to be done. He wasn’t going to let himself get hurt.</p>
<hr/><p>Hot tears were streaming down Red’s face now, as he took another breath of honey and smoke...Of Stretch. The skeleton didn’t know what hurt more now...the idea that he had to leave to protect himself, or the pain of actually leaving. Now all he had left was a fucking hoodie that was already losing the scent of its owner.</p><p> </p><p>Red felt so pathetic.</p><p> </p><p>A knock at his bedroom door startled him into a growl, staring down the offending object like a kid caught with a cookie jar. Red’s brother had been harassing him since the day he came back from Stretch’s house. He was probably coming by to tell Red he was being an idiot...again.</p><p> </p><p>“Fuck off Papyrus! I’m not in the mood to deal with you right now!” Red growled defensively. There was a long pause on the other side of the door before Red’s soul dropped.</p><p> </p><p>“Ya know, you’re not <em> wrong </em> , but you're wrong” That was <em> not </em>his brother. Standing up, Red walked briskly to the door and yanked it open. Standing there was a tired looking Stretch. His sockets widened slightly at the sight of Red. Oh…</p><p> </p><p>Red was still wearing the hoodie.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey honey…” Stretched started, his eye lights staying locked on the shorter skeleton’s face. At hearing the nickname, Red glowered at the lanky monster.</p><p>“What the fuck are you doing here?” he hissed, face flushed red from both embarrassment and from his crying. Stretch was silent for a second before he shoved his hands in his jacket pockets.</p><p> </p><p>“Your brother called me. Uh..something about your magic flaring up and you being locked in your room…?” Stretch trailed off. Red blinked and slowly looked back into his room.</p><p> </p><p>It was a mess.</p><p> </p><p>Sure, Red’s room stayed a mess...but it was <em> destroyed. </em>The wallpaper was ripped and his furniture was strewn around with his clothes in varying stages of destruction. Well...shit. Slowly, Red looked back towards the other skeleton, sweat beading on his skull.</p><p> </p><p>“Mind if I come in…?” Stretch asked. For what seemed like minutes, but was surely only seconds, Red stared up at him. Then, with a huff and a feeling of defeat, the shorter monster took a step back, letting Stretch inside.</p><p> </p><p>Red retreated to the familiarity and safety of his bed, which was one of the only things left untouched in the ruined room. The door shut after Stretch walked inside, but it didn’t really matter. Their eyes were adjusted to existing in low light anyway. Stretch approached the bed slowly, like he was walking towards a frightened animal. Though, that comparison would work for Red in this moment.</p><p> </p><p>“Can I show you something, Sans..?”</p><p> </p><p>Red wasn’t sure what had him more flustered, Stretch sitting less than a foot away form him..or the fact that he wasn’t using their nicknames...but his face felt hot as he glanced at the skeleton.</p><p> </p><p>“Whatever...s’ a free country” Red muttered, unsure of where Stretch was taking this conversation. The shorter monster waited and felt his breath hitch as a light filled the area around them.</p><p> </p><p>It was his soul.</p><p> </p><p>Red knew he shouldn’t stare..pulling out your own soul like this was so...intimate. In Red’s universe..trusting someone this stupidly was a straight shot to getting you killed. His face reddened more, eye lights flitting from the soul to Stretch’s face.</p><p> </p><p>“I- What-” He whispered, but even that sounded loud in this silence.</p><p> </p><p>“Check me” Stretch said simply, his soul floating casually between them. Both skeletons were the judges of their respective universes, and kept their souls locked away tightly. Red had never checked the taller monster and he had never been checked himself by Stretch. His brow furrowed as he did as instructed.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Papyrus. Lv 1. 1 HP… </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> *He loves you. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Red flinched at this revelation. Of course something deep in his own soul knew this already...but it was so terrifying to accept the truth. For some time, the two just sat in silence. Red was fighting an internal battle with himself, but one side finally won. His hand trembled and sweat beaded on his skull as he tried to will his soul out.</p><p> </p><p>“Stop” Stretch grabbed Red by the hand, stopping the soft glow that was starting to form. Red’s eyes snapped up, brows scrunching together with hurt.</p><p> </p><p>“Shh...it’s not what you think, honey. You aren’t ready for that. That’s okay. I wanted to do this, but I don’t expect it back from you” The taller monster murmured softly</p><p> </p><p>“You’ve gone through too much. Showing me your soul is just gonna make things worse. I’m happy to wait as long as you need, but...I need you to know I’m never gonna hurt you. We can take things one step at a time in this thing we have. Just don’t push me away when you’re feeling scared…” Stretch continued. Red gulped and glanced away, hesitating. Those thoughts of survival told him that Stretch was lying, that this was all a ploy...but one look at that soul innocently existing between them.</p><p> </p><p>“...I...Alright…” Red murmured, lacing their hands together. Things wouldn’t change over night, but this was a step in the right direction.</p>
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